GameSpire claims that its latest defense-based title Tower Defense Generals “is one of the most engaging [tower defense] games available on mobile!” That’s quite a boast considering the amount of defense-based games on the market.

Tower Defense Generals does try to live up to that boast though. The end result is an enjoyable exercise in strategy. It also holds the distinction of being one of the most eye-catching defense-based mobile games.

Full Metal Defense

The eye-catching part is immediately apparent by the game’s 3D graphics, something that’s a rarity for defense-based titles. Tower Defense Generals takes full advantage of the graphical abilities of mobile devices. The result is very pleasing and, coupled with high-quality sounds and music, it creates a gritty, well-polished atmosphere.

The game starts off easily but there is a noticeable difficulty hike.

Gameplay is a straightforward affair. Players begin each stage with a limited amount of money to purchase offensive units to repel enemy waves from reaching the end of the map. By destroying enemies, players earn money to upgrade and purchase new units to help win stages.

Tower Defense offers players a great challenge that grows with each level along with incentives to keep playing. You are rewarded for utilizing good strategy to defeat stages perfectly. These rewards range from replaying levels in new difficulty settings to upgrading units to win quicker and easier.

The game runs smoothly despite its heavy use of 3D. It’s even more smooth and easy to navigate due to a simple touch-based interface. Players will find themselves getting into gameplay quickly thanks to the simple-o-use interface that prepares the battlefield for massacre.

A Few Shells Short of a Full Clip

However, despite being a visually appealing title, gameplay itself is a disappointment. It’s ultimately a standard defense-based game that doesn’t bring anything genuinely new to the tried-and-true tower defense formula besides a unique support character set up on the field for you automatically after level two.

Furthermore, it does take some backward steps. For instance, players don’t have the freedom to place units where they desire. They’re instead allowed to only place them in specified locations. This alone eliminates quite a great deal of the strategy, freedom and challenge other tower defense titles grant players.

There’s nothing new here, but there is some great destruction.

Tower Defense Generals sadly makes use of a freemium model, but it’s thankfully not aggressive in demanding players buy things to win. However, it’s extremely trying and requires a great deal of patience if players are intent on conquering the game without paying real-world dollars.

It’s also worth noting a few features cannot be unlocked unless you pay for them. The most notable example is a sniper character who can shoot at both ground and air units. Not being enabled another skill is quite disappointing.

There’s also a severe lack of levels, meaning the game is very short. However, this is something GameSpire hopes to rectify with future updates. More additions beyond the original levels are needed in order to boost this title into something that just manages to be above average.

Overall

As defense-based gaming goes, Tower Defense Generals is undeniably one of the best looking ones on the mobile market. However, it leaves much to be desired in terms of gameplay. It should go without saying that looks alone don’t equal a groundbreaking gaming experience.

Despite being undercooked, Tower Defense Generals is just good enough for players looking for a decent tower defense experience. Provided players don’t get their hopes up for something groundbreaking, Tower Defense Generals should provide even the most hardened of defense gaming veterans some enjoyment.

Jonathan Anson

Jonathan has been a lover of video games since his father brought home a Windows 95 computer. When he's not doing that he indulges in his other passion: writing.
Jonathan holds an AA degree in Journalism from Saddleback College in Southern California.